The Givers Tale
by Dalsethel
Summary: I was seventeen when my magic first emerged. I tried to deny it, until it saved my life... and ended another. From there, I knew it was real, and I tried to control it. I succeeded. Oh God did I succeed. But, when you play a necromancer in d&d and have magic in real life... you get curious. But i'm getting ahead of myself. I am Taylor Woods. This is my story.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey y'all. Dalsethel here, and well… I gave up on** **The Mute Immortal** **. I came down with the bug that was flying around the school, then I forgot to work on it and I eventually… quit. But, like the phoenix, or my preferred resurrector, the litch, I RISE AGAIN, bringing you all a story I actually planned out a bit, hoping for better results than last time. So, this stars a less mary-sue version of one of my older OC's, and i'll probably be better at writing him, as i'm more familiar with him. You might be able to guess the pseudonym he eventually adopts. Until then… shall we? *fades into murky shadows***

* * *

I'm going to say this upfront: I am not a very good person. I do good things, but I use dark means to achieve them. But, i'm getting ahead of myself. My names Taylor. Taylor Woods. No, I will not tell you my middle name, and if you know the least bit about the supernatural, you'll understand why. For those who don't, synopsis: magic is real, and names, full ones, can be used to direct some very nasty bits of it at you. This is the story of how I learned I was a _homo magus_ (wizard sounds silly to me, as do sorcerer, magician, all of those), my training… and my specialty. It will have some of my old journal notes from back in the day (i'm going on 2556 years old, sending this back in time. So, way back in the day for me, but maybe a few months ahead for you). I discovered my magic on my seventeenth birthday.

Date: 10/19/2017-12/25/2017

Time: 03:35 -07:00pm Mountain time

Location: Johnstown/Loveland area, Colorado, United States.

I was walking from the bus stop to my house when it happened. A driver lost control of his car and swerved right towards me. I didn't have time to consciously react, other than to close my eyes. A few minutes later, I was still standing, and I dared to open my eyes. I was still standing in the exact same spot, no damage to my person. I looked behind me. The car had slammed into the house there, taking out the garage door. I wrote it off at first. I thought I had misjudged the trajectory of the car, and it had just missed me. More weird stuff kept happening though, and I began to get suspicious. I'd occasionally be pacing, and end up in another room without breaking my routine. Then, electronics started bugging out around me. Being the gamer that I am, I nearly cried the first time my hard drive randomly crashed. The next big thing happened on christmas of all days. My mom, god bless her soul, was a kind woman. However, she had a habit of getting together with men that made her happy, regardless of what other undesirable traits they had. She got out of that habit, and got together with a guy actually good for her, and for me. But, one of the exes was a real psycho, and ended up going insane somehow. He came to our house and busted down the door. We were all in the living room, which is connected right to that door. He had a gun and loosed a shot. This was the first time I really felt the power that had been growing in me. It was cold as ice, yet reminded me of all the good things in my life. The power flowed out of me, and hit him. He missed the shot, and fell to the ground, bleeding from his head. I looked around. The shot had ricocheted, bouncing off of two walls, and hitting the fucker in the head. We called the police, and they carted the body away. I heard them mention putting the SI department on it, whatever that meant. I started experimenting a while later, when everything had cooled down. I'd felt that power, and by god I was going to learn to use it. Nobody would hurt my friends or family again.

Date:3/20/2018

Time: 4:00 pm-4:30 pm, mountain time

Location: Chapungu sculpture park, Centerra, Colorado, United states

I drove to a local park to begin experimenting. We were still shaking off the winter chill, and only a few people would be there. Chapungu is nice, a very spiritual place located right off to the side of the Promenade Shops at Centerra. I had good memories here, and emotions seemed to help with this power. I found an isolated spot, near the one skeleton bird statue. I forget it's proper name, so sue me. The first thing I tried was relatively simple: lift a small rock telekinetically. I reached for that power, and it sprung forth readily, much to my surprise. I focused on the rock, imagining a blanket around it, pulling it upwards. I released the power into the world slowly- and instantly yelled in immense pain. It felt like my head was trying to split open. I won't pretend I was strong, some tough guy pushing through the pain. I fell and lay there groaning for about twenty minutes. Then, the headache faded into something manageable, and I managed to stand back up. I tried to figure out what i'd done wrong, before coming onto an idea. I focused on the rock again, directing the power to my left hand. I formed a gripping gesture with it, and lifted while letting the power out. No headache, and the rock moved upwards with my hand. I thrust my hand palm out, and the rock, now at head height, went flying in the direction i'd gestured. I immediately felt amazing! I'd learned the basics of how to control this power! In case any of you were wondering, I got my idea of using gestures from the Dungeons and Dragons player's handbook. All the spells in there mentioned verbal, somatic, and material components. After the initial exultation, I felt exhausted and decided to drive home. Despite how tired I was, I felt truly satisfied with myself for the first time in a long time. I did notice a large man in a turtleneck sweater staring after me. I thought it was strange at the time, but I let it go.

* * *

 **Journal log number 1: spell ideas**

I'm starting to get the hang of this power. It's weird, almost like magic. It certainly followed the Player's handbook recommendations. Here's a few ideas for spells I came up with.

Verbal: Ignis : Creates fire to control.

Verbal: Orbolt, Somatic: Outstretched hand: Creates a small ball of electricity, maybe about four inches in diameter, that flies towards where my arm is pointing. Inspired by chromatic orb.

Somatic: Thrust: Creates a lance of force.

Somatic: crossed arms: creates a shield in front of me. Need to figure out how to test it.

Learned:

Somatic: grip, lift, and thrust: Sends the object i'm focusing on flying towards a target.

I also want to try to make a focus, but I need to get materials first, and decide on a form.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, first bit of the story written. It's set in my home state, given it's an area I know more about than say… chicago. Hopefully i'll do better writing this time. Hopefully. Cover art is by me, myself, and I. Also, not going to ask for ocs, but feel free to send them in. General guidelines: Can be wizard, Fae, or other supernatural creature. Can belong to either court, the white council, or just be a random practitioner. For wizards, 100 years old, maximum.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N ABANDON THREAD, ABANDON THREAD. I messed up. This was meant to be a less mary sue story, that's what I told myself it would be. Trying again on chapter two. Danmasel will return, but it might take a while. So… chapter two: redux. Sorry.**

A few weeks after my experimentation over in Chapungu, I found myself wandering Barnes and Noble wanting to bash my head into the wall. No books on anything like the abilities I was developing. None. Nada. Zip. At this point, weird stuff had started happening. I kept seeing startlingly similar people around, always watching me. They always had turtleneck sweaters, despite how warm it was getting, and they seemed to be universally well muscled and bald. I really didn't want to admit what was happening was supernatural, but that's what it seemed to be looking like. If it was supernatural, I had nothing to go on other than a few book series, dungeons and dragons, and a couple of minecraft mods from back when I played regularly. I didn't know of any stores around town that carried that kind of material, other than maybe the library, and due to my increasing tech problems, I couldn't look one up. On the bright side, I could make fire now. It always came out a dark blue, which was weird. It also seemed to take more out of me than other… stuff. I'm not going to say magic. There has to be a scientific reason for this. Gahh, focus Tay, focus. But… maybe the two weren't mutually exclusive? With that thought in mind, I headed off to the library. Better than nothing.

I dug around the occult section once I got there. So far, I had found books of supernatural symbols, which seemed a bit helpful, a book on old world "demon summoning", another book that contained pages upon pages of different supernatural creatures, but nothing that really mentioned magic in real life. I went back to the shelf, and a smaller book caught my eye. I picked it up. It was a small, leather bound book. _Elementary magic, by Ebenezar McCoy_. Seemed worth a shot. Later on, when I learned the origins of the book, I couldn't help but laugh a little at the sheer coincidence of finding it. Anyways, the book contained pretty practical information on how to use magic if it occurred. It detailed circles, much like the other book, as well as the method for activating them, and how to trap stuff in them. It the went on to detail spellwork, and the different methods involved. I stopped reading there. This was the book I needed. If only I could figure out how to keep it. A thought hit me. The spellcasting section, the part of it i'd read, had contained information on illusions. I focused on the book, and tried to focus on the image of an Ipad simultaneously. The words floated into my head. I'm partially proficient in latin, mostly words for different elements. Thank you, Thaumcraft. I whispered three words. "Lux… Phonus… Vitreus." Light. Sound. Gem. I looked. The illusion wasn't the best, but it would take more than a casual observer to see through it. I walked towards the doors, and muttered "Vitium Mechanos". Taint machine. I passed through the scanners without them going off. One was giving off slight wisps of smoke. I smiled. This was going to be good.

 **A/N. Thanks,** **00 Non C. Anon 00** **, for the wakeup call. Much appreciated. Hopefully this one changes the story enough to be what I promised chapter 1. Anyways… sorry to all of you for the screwup. Hopefully i'll do better in the future. Keep in mind, i'm still new to this. I'll make mistakes here and there. Anyways, i'll see you all… *jacksepticeye voice* IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

 **Journal log 4/12/18**

This book has been pretty helpful, but it didn't touch on my favorite subject, necromancy. It also didn't tell me anything about a couple of other things, like mind magic. It did have a bit about how to defend yourself from it, which was to think of something solid and keep it there as hard as you can, but nothing on actually using it. Maybe necromancy might not be possible, but mind magic most definitely is. I'm going to experiment with both. There's someone I really want to see again… I miss you Oma. Goodnight. Hopefully i'll be able to see you soon.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Hey guys, how goes it? Going good? Well, i'm finally moving the story along from the learning stage. In case it wasn't obvious, chapters can take place weeks apart. A few notes:**

 **Elementary magic is not going to become an ex-machina book. It's essentially an introduction to the basics. Tay is still going to need to experiment to accomplish major things.**

 **The necromancy bit in the description was no accident. It'll be a while before we get there though.**

 **There are a few supporting characters to introduce. I'm doing that this chapter, and the next chapter will be the moving on bit.**

 **So, without further ado, here we go! *prepares dice***

It had been a couple months since i'd picked up elementary magic, and more weird stuff had happened. I'd seen figures in grey cloaks out of the corner of my eye. Oh, and my sight had developed, with the addition of not needing prescription lenses anymore. I figured out how to close it after a couple of hours, but I couldn't unsee the view of my room. There was a lot of cooped up emotion in there. Sadness, anger, happiness. And a newer one:lust. I'd gotten together with someone i'd been friends with for a while, and we ended up doing 'the dance' last week. I'd explained my powers to him- yes HIM. Deal with it- and given him a stone infused with a bit of artifice that would allow me to contact him from a second stone in my possession. And hence, we'd managed to set up what we and a couple of friends were doing tonight.

The Teifling demigod of death, Catarah, the gnome illusionist known as Filchbatter, and the elven bard, Peren, climbed up the hill towards the castle of the dark angel, Danmasel. All that stood in their way: a closed drawbridge. Catarah conjured a massive pair of ectoplasmic hands and tried to rip it down. The dice rolled. The party let out an abundance of curses as the bridge ripped out of it's sockets and crushed them all. The power of the natural one.

"God dammit guys, sorry!" Hannah, Catarah's player apologized to the party for the umpteenth time. We were playing Dungeons and Dragons, with a few twists. Little things, like all clerics and sorcerers being demigods. I was the DM, although occasionally I switched off with Vince, my SO. It still feels weird saying that. First relationship i've been in, and half the time I have no idea what i'm doing. He was Filchbatters player, and an animate roleplayer. I myself played a necromancer, aligned chaotic good. His name was Dalsethel, and he could generally swell the party pretty well with a combination of his main school and conjuration spells. "You all reincarnate back at the foot of the mountain, taking a few seconds to adjust to your new form." Another house rule: characters never died permanently. They were brought back to life at the last place they rested, as if with the _reincarnate_ spell. That meant a few minor adjustments to their character sheet, and that they lost all their equipment. They got shiny new copies of their classes starting gear, so it wasn't all bad. The last time they'd reincarnated, they managed to roll their starting races. I didn't bother to check the probability on that one. It would have been astronomical. Of course, a little magic could go a long way. The book had been a helpful guide into what could be accomplished, and i'd figured out a few things on my own. I called what I did tychomancy, or luck magic. I manipulated probability to a favorable outcome. It wasn't a full entropy curse, like what i'd done instinctively back when Garrett attacked my house on Christmas. We'd gotten news about him surviving, but being impaired. I honestly didn't give a damn. Anyways, the party rolled for their new races. Hannah ended up becoming a half elf, Vince a drow, and Andrew, our third player and Hannah's boyfriend, became a half orc. Andrew, due to some form of magic that lingered around him that I couldn't quite identify, had extraordinary luck most of the time. This was not one of those times. Truth be told, all of them had slight magical auras. Hannah's felt soft and warm, but grew to a furnace when she was angry. Vince… Vince's aura was weird. It didn't have a physical sensation, but it enhanced my current emotions when I poked it, metaphysically speaking. If i was angry, i suddenly became angry enough to want to hurt something. If i was 'in the mood', i found myself wanting nothing more than to take him to my room and tear our clothes off. It affected him as well. He called how it affected him Spike, a sort of triple manifestation of parts of his Id. It talked to him occasionally, suggesting to act on whatever emotion he felt strongest at the moment. It was largely malevolent, but could make him physically stronger than just about anyone i knew in times of emergency. I was half convinced he was a supernatural creature i'd read about, a scion. Part demon, part human. Problem was, I knew both of his parents. Well, enough exposition, **(you knock that off Tay. I will not have you break the fourth wall.)** back to the game.

The group started back up the mountain, and ended up being attacked by a group of rogue tymoran demigods. A natural one on a saving throw imposed by Vince later, they ran off, convinced he had summoned Orcus on them. They made it up the hill, dealing with a small group of tribal anthromal raiders on the way. Vinces specialty came in handy, as he used the _illusory reality_ illusionist feature to make a bridge to replace the one that had killed them previously. From there, they fought a large horde of zombies, about half of which Hannah turned to our side. We ended just outside the center of the dungeon, where Danmasel waited. We grabbed some pepsi and talked, at one point doing a seperate roleplay using the communication stones. We each had our own characters there as well. I was Rayth, an anthropomorphic skunk with a knack for artifice and several other forms of magic. Hannah was Catarah, a half demon, half angel who took the form of a cat. Andrew was drewsky, and a fellow anthro. He took the form of a white goat. Vince was Dez, a robot he'd come up with before we'd even met. He had a full story written. By the time we were done, it was midnight. They all drove home, leaving me alone in the house. I went up to bed smiling. Life was seemingly perfect.

It all went wrong the next day.

 **A/N annnd, thats a wrap. Sorry if this was hard to read, I suck at writing dialogue. As you can imagine from that last sentence, things go bad next update. It'll be up anytime between when this goes up, and the wednesday after this coming one. Until then, i'll see you all later! God I need to learn to write dialogue...**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N To start with, last chapter… wasn't the greatest. I suck at fight scenes and dialogue unless I have them planned out beforehand. Hence why I gave barebones details about the campaign, and why no one really talked. This chapter is better thought out, so it should be much better. Quick warning: sensitive topic ahead! DEATH! DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ!**

I was woken up by my communication stone burning in my hand. I yelped and quickly answered it. Hannah was on the other end. "Tay… something happened. It showed up on the news… there was a fire, people started it for some reason. Vince got caught in it… they aren't sure he'll make it. I'm sorry bud…" My heart stopped. This couldn't be happening, my life was finally figuring itself out! I focused on my connection to vince, a similar thing to a satyrs empathy link. It was true. He was fading. My heart went cold, before filling with hot rage. Some fuck had hurt him, and god knows how many other people. I couldn't have helped, I wasn't there. But i could at least get revenge. I went to the basement and dug around the supplies i'd gotten for artifice. I found what i was looking for. Leather, thread, and a couple lenses. I got to work. Anger can go a long way towards finishing a project, and two hours later, i had a mask and a pair of gloves, loaded with a few basic enchantments. I got to work on my shoes next, inscribing a cipher i'd made for spells to give them the ability to increase my speed and endurance tenfold. Last, i pulled out my old grey hoodie i'd been wearing for years and some paint. Different runes went on here, for strength and protection. I put on the mask. My sight cleared immediately. I could see the darkest corner of the basement, as well as all the residual energy from my experiments down here. I put on the gloves, one marked with a shield, and one marked with a sword. I pointed my arm, and focused my will down the sword arm. Three spears of hard light impaled a few different points, about six inches away from eachother. I clenched my shield hand, and a large kite of dark blue energy appeared in front of it. I waited for nightfall.

The sun set, and I started running with all my might. In retrospect, I don't know why I didn't drive. It would have been easier. Anyways, I made my way to where they were holding the arsonists, climbing up a building on the other side. I paused for a second. Was I really going to do what I was thinking of? My anger brushed the doubt aside. They had to pay. That's why I was here. I jumped off the building, creating a cushion of air where I landed. I used too much force and cracked the pavement where I landed. Ah well. Dramatic effect. I augmented my voice, distorting it with magic.

"OFFICERS, SEND OUT THE ARSONISTS. I'M ONLY HERE FOR THEM. SEND THEM OUT, AND NO ONE ELSE GETS HURT." security bars closed over the windows, and i saw blast doors shut. Fine. we do this the hard way. I channeled my anger and magic into my hands, creating a giant copy of them, glowing brilliant blue. I reached out and grabbed the front of the building, tearing it off, blast doors and all. The officers inside immediately opened fire, which I blocked using the hands. I swatted them aside and walked into the building. The fuckers were at the back. I readied my sword glove, focusing on each of their hearts, when a voice spoke behind me.

"You don't want to do that son. Let them go." There was a distinct accent that i thought i'd never hear outside of movies. Complete cowboy, but with a touch of a scottish burr. I turned around. A well muscled man wearing a grey cloak and cowl stood there.

"Who the fuck are you?" That was my first response. Probably a bit brash, considering the aura of power the man put out, but I was pissed.

"Ebenezar of the white council. I won't ask again. Let your power go, and walk away. We've killed too many people with potential like you." The white council? The hell was that? A whole group of people like me? I lowered my arm. "Good. Now, look at them with your sight. Tell me what you see." I looked, and opened my sight. The arsonists all looked pitiful. Like… something that had been beaten to just about the point of breaking. They had bruises, and a couple had outright scars. I'd seen similar bruises when i'd looked at myself in the mirror with my sight. I didn't have as many as they did, but i could tell what they meant. They'd been hurt. "It doesnt matter." My voice, but cold, flat. emotionless. "Yes, it does. You could have ended up like them if either Owen or Garrett had stayed for longer." my voice, soft and kind, weighted with age. "And we would have deserved to be PUNISHED! JUST LIKE THEM!" The former voice, letting a rough, acidic tone in.

I yelled out loud. "SHUT UP!" Several windows shattered, and Ebenezar, the thugs, and several desks slid back from me as a wave of force lashed out. I looked inside myself. Looked for the link. That would tell me their fate. I felt it. It was getting stronger. Vince would be ok. I looked away from the thugs and started walking out of the building, brushing past my fellow mage. He put a hand on my shoulder. "You did the right thing. Now go home. We'll take care of this mess, and contact you tomorrow." I didn't bother questioning it. I was tired. I'd tossed out more power than I thought I even had available. I took off the mask and gloves and started walking. I made it home right as the sun was rising. I went up the stairs and flopped down on my bed. I slept, and I dreamed.

The dream was strange. There was a room, largely grey and featureless. Two people were inside. And they were fighting. Both had pure white hair and the Woods family eyes, but other than that were alike as night and day. One had long hair, pulled back in a shaggy ponytail, and was hurling out bolts of black fire. His eyes were wide, and his pupils and irises seemed too small. He had a manic smile on his face. The other was near identical to me, with neatly trimmed hair. He threw orbs of silvery blue light. His face was kind, but set in a grim expression. A voice boomed around me. "CHOOSE." I didn't question the scary voice. I weighed my options, then chose. I walked to one side, and hurled a ball of green light. It hit it's target. One man fell. One remained standing. From there, the dream faded to darkness.

 **A/N and cliffhanger. Hope I did better on this one. Let me know what you think! Too cookie cutter superhero, or any other opinions. See y'all later!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Hey y'all, doing something a little different today. This is going to be a glimpse at a companion story i'm doing, set about a century ahead. Still the same character, but obviously older, and much stronger. Let me know what you think!**

 **/Lorem ipsum/=tv**

" _ **Lorem ipsum"= spirit**_

I walked down the frostbitten street outside my shop. It was the dead of winter, and global warming had died down about seventy years ago, leaving the world to get back on it's feet. I unlocked the door and set the shop up for the day. I sold a variety of little knick-knacks here. Protective charms. Robes and fabric for LARPers and cosplayers. I had a wall full of religious and magical symbols. Then, there was the back room. That was for customers with burgeoning magical talent, with basic foci and manuals i'd written on the basics of magic. The kind of shop a lot of people had, but no one did right. I also did some consulting work with those same people, or anyone who needed it. That I did for free. I turned on the tv I kept in the shop. A while back i'd figured out how to modify electronics to run off of magical power, thereby eliminating their tendency to bug out around practitioners.

/five bodies found today, all bearing the distinctive wounds of victims of the Hellblood gang. Police are still no closer to taking this gang down. The commissioner had this to say. "Look, I know you all want these people gone, but they have weapons unlike anything we've seen before. They can shoot lightning-"/ I turned off the TV. the Hellbloods werent just a gang. They were a cult, and one of the scariest ones i'd seen. They had figure out how to use life energy from blood to give ordinary people magic, making them incredibly dangerous. And the council wouldn't do anything about them. They'd grown weaker and softer since Dresden vanished and Ebenezar passed. There was talk around the supernatural community of removing them entirely. Monsters of all kinds had been brazenly killing people, feeding on them. And me? I'd done nothing. I stood by, taking care of my little shop, watching the world go to hell.

" _You're weak. Just like them… too afraid to do anything. I don't know what I ever saw in you."_ I looked over at my tagalong. It was Vince. He'd passed away at around ninety, and his imprint had decided to haunt me. "I'm not weak. I'm not scared. I'm just being cautious." " _Why? You could take on anything this city can throw at you. You still have the mask. No one would know it was you…"_ He moved closer " _except for me…"_ "The mask's a relic. A symbol from a bygone age. No one believes in it anymore." " _Then make a new symbol… it's easy… you have all the materials here. Go out. Fight them. Do whats right. Like you used to… do it for me."_

He was right. I couldn't keep sitting on my ass here. I pulled out my old sketchbook. "I need a color." " _how about… blue?"_

 **A/N and there's chapter one! Woot! Yes, he is going vigilante, and the first laws going to be broken repeatedly. Fun times! I have a costume in mind, but feel free to describe your ideas over pm or review. Until next time… *vanishes in a blue flash***


	6. HES BACK!

**A/N Here… we… go…**

 _Five years after the incident_

I woke up at the ass crack of dawn, eagerly getting dressed and heading downstairs. Today was the day. I wolfed down a bowl of cereal, grabbed my staff, a slightly curved thing made of alder wood and carved with celtic knots, and ran for the meeting spot. My mentor, a soft spoken wizard with flaming red hair named Aiden, had informed me that today would be my last day of training. I was older than most of the other apprentices getting inducted next week, but that's due to just being picked up later. I thought back to that night. I hadn't felt that cold sensation when using magic in all the five years i'd been training. I got to the clearing me and my mentor trained in. I should probably mention, i'd been temporarily assigned to live with Aiden in his cabin, located about half a mile north from Walden. For people who don't live in Colorado, that's pretty deep in the Rockies. I'd been once before with my grandma. Small town without much to do. At least they had cell service and wi-fi. Anyways, I got to the clearing and looked around for Aiden's slim, tall form. Weirdly, he didn't seem to be there. I reached out with my magical senses, testing for a veil. Instead of the expected illusion, I found a massive well of animatory magic. As if on cue, a golem made of what seemed to be solid stone ran out of the woods, letting out an unearthly, grinding wail. Now, you might get the impression a creature made of solid stone would be slow. Handy tip: They aren't. It reached me in the blink of an eye, swinging at my head. I barely dodged the blow, due to a bit of fancy kinetomancy. I quickly leveled my staff with his- Its- the golems armpit and let fly with a line of white hot focused flame about a foot thick, shearing the things arm off. It let out a gravely bellow and swung at me again with its remaining arm. I got an entropy shield up, a trick i'd replicated from a warden. The arm hit the shield and started rapidly crumbling. I dropped the shield and let out a cone of raw kinetic energy straight at its core, blasting apart the animating rune and destroying the golem in the process. I reached out with my senses again. That had felt way easier than it should have been. Suddenly, applause reached my ears as several wizards, recognizable as members of the wardens, stepped out of the trees along with my mentor. I saw money changing hands, all of it going to Aiden. "Told you he was good as Morgan."

One of the wardens, A tall, muscular black man let out a sigh. "I suppose you did." he looked at me, eyeing my staff and build. I'd changed a lot. I was taller, around 6'3", and had a lot more muscle than the gangly teenager I had been. Granted, it wasn't huge slabs like you see on bodybuilders. I was lean, still pretty skinny by most standards that pop up when the average person thinks "Muscles", but it was all solid. The warden looked me in the eye. "Nice work kid. That was one of my stronger golem designs."

The second warden, a slim woman with dark brown hair and pale skin nodded in agreement. "The ramirez field was a clever trick, although you could have made the fight easier by using the offensively inclined form. I trust you know how to do that?" I did, but it was hard to do without a specialty made focus. I was working on one, but the knots took time to carve properly. They had to flow and twine together in just the right pattern, or I could end up disintegrating myself. I decided to just nod instead of explaining all that. She met my eyes, though only for a second. "Welcome to the council. And welcome to the wardens." She looked at the third warden, a rather young and pretty woman. "With your permission captain Luccio." Holy crap. THAT was the leader of the wardens? I suddenly felt extremely nervous. Supposedly, she was the baddest of the badass. She eyed me, then stared directly into my eyes. She held it steady, until suddenly I was falling forward into the dark abyss of her pupils. I saw white, lots of geometric patterns. Purity and order. A small patch of tainted looking pink. A broken heart. A touch of silver in the shape of a tall man with a duster and a staff. Someone she admired. It looked like what i'd heard of Harry Dresden's traditional image. I saw her analyzing everything she saw in me. All the little bits i knew were there. The indigo backlight of compassion. The little dark spot where I knew the cold power came from if i searched for it. The yellow of fear mixed with the pink of love, my anxiety that Vince had found someone else. The ball of red anger deep in my core, ready to burst forth in defense of myself and my loved ones. And, just beyond that, a small core of brilliant blue, my hope for a better tomorrow. That's how I saw the way my brain was organized at least. It works a little differently for everyone, and i'm heavily influenced by the emotional spectrum introduced in DC comics. A moment passed, and the gaze faded.

Luccio nodded. "Welcome to the wardens, Woods."

 _A couple hours and a ride in a cramped van later_

I looked around at my home city, taking in the sights, familiar yet different. We got closer to my old neighborhood before pulling in, taking a few unfamiliar twists to a nice, blue house i'd passed a few times while walking toby, my old… Oh fuck. Toby was probably gone by now. He'd been getting on in years, especially for a little dog. My fears flew away when i heard a familiar three part bark coming from the house. The door opened and the little tan blur that was my shiba ran out, panting all the while. I looked to my fellow wardens. They smiled. Aiden spoke "Go on. I'm sure he's not the only one excited to see you." I raised my eyebrow at him. "We called ahead to let your… better half know you were coming. He sounded pretty happy." I nodded and opened the door. Little dog ran right up to me and started trying to climb my leg, just like he always did. I kneeled down and scratched him behind his ears, right where he always liked it. I heard a thump and a clatter, probably my stuff being dropped off behind me, and the van pulled away. I heard the house door open again, along with a sound of footsteps. A pair of black sneakers came into my line of sight, and I slowly looked up. Half a decade had barely changed him. He was more muscular to be sure, but it was softer muscle than I had. Same pale skin. Same black hair. Same dusting of freckles. And the same eyes, ones that couldn't decide if they were green or blue. I stood up and pulled Vince close, aiming for a hug. He shifted it and turned it into a deep kiss. A block of ice at the back of my spine that i didn't know was there instantly turned to nice, warm water. He hadn't moved on. I was home. He pulled out of the kiss and wordlessly guided me inside, taking me upstairs to a nice sight. A candlelit room with the shades pulled closed. I heard the door close behind me and smiled. I missed this.

 **(A/N NO I WILL NOT WRITE SMUT. NO MATTER HOW TEMPTING IT IS ON MY END I WILL NOT HAVE THAT ON MY ACCOUNT. Ok, maybe I will down the road, BUT NOT RIGHT NOW!)**

 _Several blissful hours later_

We were pressed together, spooning, enjoying just cuddling. We were both breathing hard from our earlier exertions, sweating like pigs, but we didn't care. I managed to talk. "Best. Welcome. Ever." Vince shifted and whispered in my ear.

"Agreed." I slowly drifted off to sleep in his arms.

 _I saw several different scenarios before me. An elf with black skin, lying in rubble while two more elves held off several humanoid lizards. A young woman, standing in front of a very familiar looking man. A figure in a suit of armor, running at high speed beside- was that the Flash? And at the center, a man with a familiar face and black and white hair, holding a small black orb. Slowly, it all faded to blackness._

 **End of section 1.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N holy shit… over 500 views. I almost have to do something special now. Thank y'all for staying with me through the hiatus. Here is… umm… *Sounds of clattering objects* *small whumph* *drawer sounds* AH HAH! So, you know how Tay got severely pissy that one time and ripped a police station in half? Lets see how… NOTICE: MILD SUENESS AHEAD.**

Vince and I were in our new house's backyard, taking a break from helping me find a job other than the whole warden thing. I was showing off a few tricks. "Dude… you learned shapeshifting specifically to walk around as an anthro?" I flicked my fluffy skunk tail in agreement. "But… but why?" Vince looked at me, sorely confused.

I grinned. "Purely for the shits and giggles." I quickly shifted back. "Sorry if that made you uncomfortable." He looked at me, stoney faced, then broke out into a grin.

"You've done weirder and put up with worse from me. I think I can handle that." Something sounded off about his voice, the way he talked. Yeah, he put up with weird shit from me, but… normally he'd flip about something like that. I met his eyes. He looked at me. "Babe… you alright?" I continued staring. He grew more and more concerned, the expression showing everywhere but his eyes, which stayed flat and emotionless. He grew several shades paler. "Tay… your eyes… what's…?" he-no, it- suddenly put two and two together and started to run. It was fast. Magic was faster. It jerked mid stride and clutched at it's neck, the neck that belonged to MY VINCE.

My voice echoed, deeper, gravilier than it should have been. "Where… is… he?" It's eyes changed, gaining depth, becoming him, really him, before turning flat and lifeless again. It smiled.

"He's right here… and so am I. So nice to meet my others mate… face to face." it's-his-it's- skin started to darken, curled spikes growing out of his head and elbows. Claws grew out of it's hands. "You may call me… Spike." it giggled, high pitched and terrifying. "Of course, i see i'm not the only one coming out to play…" The air in front of me shimmered, becoming reflective. I saw myself but… my face was gaunt. My hair was slowly turning snow white. And my eyes… I recognized them from straight out of anime, cartoons, and a certain horror game franchise. All black with a glowing silver pupil. "I wonder when it happened? When you should have died? When the Giver decided to use you as it's pawn… OH! Thats right. The car, meant for you, nearly six years ago on the day of your birth. Ah… such irony. My other wouldn't have gotten with-" A chunk of black crystal the size of a soccer ball slammed into it's face with a crunch and it fell to the ground. I looked for where it came from… then saw my arm outstretched in my spellcasting stance. I felt the cold energy running through me, following my anger at this thing that had taken Vince from me and dared to wear his face. I stalked closer, not feeling myself, not moving like myself. I was a predator. This was… prey? I kneeled down next to it, watching it's face heal. I crawled on top of it, straddling it's hips, pinning it's arms with hands infused with raw magical strength. I leaned down and… kissed isn't the right word. Kissing implies something intimate, good. I ate it's mouth. That was more like it. I felt something hot running from the point of contact, some form of energy. I drank it up. The ebony skin grew paler, the horns receded, the eyes gained depth, looking at me with terror. I ate that damned thing that lived in the head of the one who was MINE. When the energy stopped flowing, I let go. I could tell my eyes, my hair, everything was still… whatever i'd become. Shock hit me right then. I'd just willingly let it take over. The cold, the power I was so scared of. And i'd used it on Vince. I got off of him, scrambling backwards on my ass. He looked up at me. I flinched away. I didn't want him to see me. I wanted to be somewhere else, away from him. Maybe not forever, but for… a few days. A few days to get my head together. To process what had happened. And then…

I was in a cozy bed, perfectly naked beneath the covers. I slowly sat up and looked around. The bed was small, about a twin size, sitting in the middle of a room made of stained white wood. There were shelves filled with books. I cautiously got out of bed, looking at them. Dresden Files. Iron Druid Chronicles. Rangers Apprentice. An untitled book bound in brown leather with a pair of green gems near the top and bottom edges of the spine. I pulled that one out. A New Givers Guide to Spirit Manipulation, Necromancy, and Artifice. The book called to me, begging to be read. I sat down on the bed, wishing briefly that i wasn't naked and being surprised as a pair of comfortable black sweatpants covered my legs and a white tee shirt appeared on my torso. I leaned back and began to read.

 **A/N I think i'll leave it here for now. Starting to live up to the title finally isn't it? Sorry for not posting. I'd say i was doing important stuff, but really i've been playing don't starve, dark souls, and skyforge waaaay too much. Anyways, see y'all whenever i decide to write something seeing as how i don't really have a schedule to keep to anymore. Sorry for short chapter btw. thank you for putting up with my B.S**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N Fuck. i'm sick. Well, at least i have more time to write for a little while.**

 _Woods/Debouvous household_

" _In the latest of a strange series of events, people have been dropping like flies of unknown causes. The local morgue made the following statement."_ A thin man with slightly sunken eyes appeared on the screen. " _We haven't been able to find any definite cause of death on any of the victims. No toxins in the bloodstream, no diseases, no signs of injury, no nothing. It's like they just-"_ Vince turned off the T.V. it had been about a month since Taylor vanished right in front of him, and no one had been able to find him. Not the wardens, not Catarah, not the police. It was like he just ceased to exist. Shadows gathered in the far corner of the living room, and a blackish-blue cat with green and red eyes padded out. Vince looked over.

"Any luck?" the cat sighed.

"Maybe. Pretty sure I found what's been killing the people as well, but i don't think you're going to like it."

 _1 hour previously_

Catarah watched as a group of children were forced into a warehouse by a number of red robed humans. She quietly shadow traveled to a small patch of darkness on the inside to get a better view. There were cages. Lots of them, most packed with people ranging from small children to preteens. Oh, there was also a massive ritual triangle painted in slightly luminescent red. That was probably important. She sighed. The scent had lead here, but there was no sign of the supposedly unmistakeable white hair. Suddenly, one of the torches-why torches- that was lighting the room went out. Then another. Then, the remainder all went out with a slight cold breeze. The scent of dark magic filled the air, and a curved blade of green light flared into existence, revealing a form clad in grey, wielding a slightly curved staff of- she inhaled, trying to catch the scent- alder. The blade was perpendicular to the staff, forming the shape of a scythe. She felt rather than saw the figures eyes trace the room, and caught a flash of silver pupils. The person- undoubtedly this "Taylor" she had been summoned by her mistress to look for- crossed the room to the nearest cultist in what only seemed like three steps. The smell of urine filled the air and the cultist began to panic, trying to get away. A gloved hand on his face stopped him, and he began to jerk wildy for a second before going limp and still. The grey clad figure spoke. "For crimes against humanity, I sentence all members of this little cult..." she could hear the slight smile in his voice "to death. Unless, of course, you wish to surrender? I'm sure my fellow wardens would be more lenient." A flash of red energy smacked against his chest, dissipating harmlessly. He shrugged. "Very well then." the blade of energy went out. The scent of death filled the air, the sound of cages being unlocked echoed throughout the warehouse- then the normal electric lights came on, revealing no less than sixty red clad figures on the ground, and a mass of confused, scared, but very much alive and free, children. The grey clad figure was nowhere to be seen.

 _Present_

"So… you're saying he's gone batshit?"

"Exactly. I don't really get the whole 'love' thing, but i understand that probably hurts to find out."

Vince sighed. "Any idea why he went crazy?"

"He's been chosen by a death god. I could smell it, i could see it in the forms of magic he was using. They always go crazy, at least for awhile, while the host brain learns how to cope with the new tagalong." Catarah's pupils dilated slightly. "I think, maybe, there's a way to help him. Do you have a phone number for the wardens?"

 _Edinburg, five minutes later_

"Ma'am, there's a Vincent Debouvous on the line. He says he has information about warden Wood's disappearance." Captain Luccio looked up at the new secretary.

"Put him on."

 **A/N And cliffhanger though not really. It was really satisfying to write tay finally cutting loosed, even if it was only little flashes. I'll see y'all next time. Bye!**

 **Credit for Catarah goes to the user of the same name over on iFunny. You know, the one that did the cover art for TMI? She and I are irl friends, and I recommend checking out her deviantart and telling her Dal sent you. Again, same username. Anyways, shameless friend promotion over.**


	9. Tomorrow is a new day

**A/N Here we are again. My brains been pretty fried. Last couple of months have been rough, but im back.**

I was sitting in the small white room. The bed was still there, as were the bookshelf and stool. I was sitting on the floor, trying to figure out how to get out of here. A mirror had appeared on the wall… weeks? Days? Months? It was hard to keep track of time in here. Anyways, the mirror. It showed me the world through someone's perspective. Whoever this someone was, they liked killing people with magic. It only seemed to be warlocks they killed though. It was weird. I looked at the book with the green gems. I wanted to read more of it, but I got the impression that that wasn't a good idea. There was some dark stuff. Binding souls to constructs to effectively return a soul to life was one of the lighter ones. Animating an army was one of the darker ones, but puppeteering had to be the darkest. Manipulating someone's body not with mind magic but by controlling their blood. It was like Hama, or however you spelled her name, on steroids. I'd flipped to the back and gone through some of the artifice. Some of that stuff could change the world. I heard yelling from the mirror. I walked over. Whoever this guy was, he was being held down by several burly wardens. A person with pale skin and black hair was... wait… Vince? Why was he there? I saw a brief flash of a person drawing a circle around the guy. I felt the circle close… then I wasn't just looking through the mirror. Everyone was talking at me. I couldn't understand a word… it was so loud… where did he go? I tried to yell for Vince but my mouth was bound shut. I started struggling, trying to reach for magical power, ANYTHING to get free… Nothing worked. I felt rope going around my wrists, my ankles. I closed my eyes. Were they going to kill me? This seemed pretty standard for if they were preparing to drag me off and kill me. I felt a tear run down my face. Someone wiped it away. I didn't open my eyes. I didn't want false hope. He'd left. He probably wasn't there in the first place. I was so tired… everything was confusing, just a blur of noise. I tried to think if i'd taken my meds recently. I hadn't seen it in the mirror. I guess mirror-me didn't need them or something. I felt a vague sensation of being lifted. I didn't care. I just kept my eyes close. I heard a door open- a car door. A few seconds passed, then they gently set me down so that my head was on… something soft. Familiar. I'd been here before… if i could remember what it was… A hand brushed my hair. Someone was talking at me, quiet and soothing. I felt more tears run down my face. Once again, a hand wiped them away. The murmuring continued. I'm not sure when I fell asleep. I only knew one thing: They probably weren't gonna kill me yet.

" _...You are...right where you need to be…. Poised to… inspire and to succeed… soon you'll… finally find your own way…"_

" _Refuse to let it take you… like it took all the rest. The nightmare too familiar… replays until nothing's left. Why wrap your heart in peril… when we can hide away? Refuse to let it take you, so won't you stay?"_ the voices wouldn't stop singing, lullabies, songs of loss… I wanted it to stop…

 _A pair of brown eyes met mine. A male voice spoke. "Hey kid… I know this is rough right now… You'll get through it. I won't let you fail."_

" _And you could have it all… My empire of dirt…"_

 _Blue eyes. Black hair. A feminine voice. "Dal… wake up. Please…. The kids miss you… Rol needs you. Mari needs you. I need you…" The voice started sobbing. It rang in my soul, it hurt more than anything i'd felt before. It needed to stop. I tried to find my way to her but everything was syrupy._

 _A baby started crying. I started crying._

I woke up… really woke up. Tears were still streaming down my face. I remembered. The fight. Shay. My son and daughter. I met the eyes of the wife i'd all but forgotten, the only contact being through writing. Vince was a dream. Harry, the wardens, that whole world… just a dream from a coma. I hugged Shay, mourning the loss of an entire world more than celebrating getting my own back. A skinny figure showed up in my peripheral vision. A teenage boy, with mixed black and white hair, a sharp face… and eyes that couldn't decide if they were blue or green. "Dad…?" I knew that this was my son, but not Shays. I hugged the kid of the one i'd loved, my last connection to that world.

"Rolyat Vincent Phobos… You have no idea how much I missed you."

 **This is the end of this story, but not the end for the Giver. He is woven in every word, always watching, always waiting to help where he can. Maybe you'll see him again one day. For now… Goodnight.**

 **A/N Hey y'all. sorry if this was confusing, but that's the only way I could write it. I needed to put this story to rest, make way for new things. I'll probably do a story at one point going over the Phobos bloodline and their misadventures, but for now... the giver sleeps. The birds sing, and the grass grows. Life goes on. I keep on plodding through it, fighting my uphill battle against my own mind. I need food. I need rest. I need someone here with me, the one thing i'm scared i'll never have. I'll keep fighting though. I'll find a way.**


End file.
